Game apparatus.



' D. H. TALBERT.

' GAME ALPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31. 190 7.

Patented Jan.'12, 1909.

INVENTOR. Daniel I'll [Elbert 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

D. H. TALBBRT.

GAME APPARATB. APPLICATION nun 5.116.131.1907.

909,708. Patented Jan. 12,1909.

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D. H. TALBERT. GAME APPARATUS. APPLIOATIOK riLBn we. 31, 1901.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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DANIEL H. TALBER'I, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed August 31, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 390,957.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL H. TALBERT, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The objectof this invention is to improve the construction of game apparatus of the sort commonly known as box ball, a removable and relatively inexpensive game iipparatus that is analogous to bowling aleys.

The chief feature of this invention consists in the means for mounting and operating the swinging members or pins which are struck by the balls during the game. In

this invention these members or pins are pivoted or hinged above their center of gravity so that gravity only is suiiicient to hold them in their normal upright positions. This leaves them entirely free for immediate and relatively easy movement when they are struck by the balls, and after they are struck by the balls they are caught and held in their operated position by suitable means which constitutes a part of my invention. This holding means is releasable from the forward end of the apparatus so that after a game or inning the swinging members or pins may readily be reset to their normal position by the player. I also mount a lever operatable by the player for returning the swinging members or pins to their normal position on the return trough of the apparatus. Also a connecting bar operated by said lever in this invention is supported by adjustable rocking bars. Furthermore it is provided with a side return trough into which the balls roll after being thrown, by reason of the floor at the extreme rear end of the apparatus being inclined toward said trough.

The various features of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the game apparatus centrally broken away. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, the upper part being broken away. Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the means for supporting the connecting bar of the resetting n1echanism,parts being broken away and the altered position of said supporting means being shown by dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the righthand end of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away, and the parts being in normal position. Fig. 6 is the right hand side of what is shown in Fig. 5 with parts altered to show their position after a swinging member or pin has been struck. Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 with the resetting mechanism moved forward to reset the swinging members or pins and before said resetting means has been returned to its normal position. Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 88 of Fig. 5 through the rear end of the apparatus with the parts in their normal position. Fig. 9 is the same with the parts in position after the swinging member or pin has been struck. Fig. 10 is a transverse section on line 1010 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a transverse section on the line 1111 of Fig. 5. Fig. 12 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 5. Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse section on the line 1313 of Fig. 12.

This apparatus is provided with an alley 10 extending longitudinally and centrally thereof on which balls are rolled, as in bowling alleys, to strike the swinging members or pins 11, which are the substitutes in this apparatus for pins in bowling alleys, but in this apparatus they are pivotally mounted on the transverse rod 12 that is carried by the side board 13 extending up from the horizontal boards 1A over the rear ends of the troughs 17. There is a member or indicator board 15, as shown in Fig 2.

There are cross pieces 16 on which a trough 17 is formed by a pair of parallel pieces secured at each side of the alley. These troughs catch the balls that are so poorly thrown as to roll off the alley. Beside each trough there is a board or wall 18 extending upward that prevents the balls from escaping from the troughs 17 and toward the rear of the apparatus the walls 18 are extended by the frame 19 upon which the pieces 14 are secured. The halls are marked 20. To each side of the apparatus there is secured also a post 21 as seen in Fig. 1. The swinging members or pins 11 are provided at their lower ends with striking plates 22.

At the rear end of the apparatus the floor 23 is inclined toward the rear from the end of the alley 10. This is to cause the balls after they have struck the swinging members or pins to roll rearward by gravity out of the, way and also not. to interfere with the return after they have struck the pins and a pin boy is not needed.

When the swinging member or pin 11 is struck it is thrown toward a horizontal position shown in Fig. 9 and that movement causes a cam 30 on the rear of said pivoted members to engage and elevate the catch 31 on the forward end of the block 32 that slides on the board 33 between the longitudinal guides 34 as seen in Fig. 11. This vertical movement of the catch end 31 of said slide block disengages it from the end of the board 33, which appears in Fig. 12. Thereupon the spring 36 withdraws said slide block 32, and through the tape 37, which runs over pulley 35 in plate 33, com pletely'elevates the lower end of the swing" lng member or pin 11 to the horizontal position shown in F ig..9 and holds it in that position. The spring 36 lies in the groove 38in theboard 33, as seen in Fig. 11, and at one end is secured to the sliding block 32 andat the other end to the cross-piece 39. A pad or buffer 140 is secured to the under side of the board 33 to receive the blow of the lower ends of the swinging members or pins 11. After the game is played or the inning of'the player is ended, the swinging members or pins 11 which have been struck'to the horizontal position shown in Fig; 9, are all released by the player drawing the lever 40 toward him. That lever is fulcrumed at.41. as seen in Fig. 3 to the return trough 26. As there appears the lever 40 is widened at its lower end and is fulcrumed to the sides of thestrough 26 by means of the two straps 141 and 142. The lower end of thelever 40 is recessed at 143 so that the balls2t) willpass'under it readily on their.

return to. the front end of the apparatus. Between the ends of said lever 40 it is pivoted to the forward end of the connecting bar 42 that runs to the rear of the appara tus and ispivoted at 43 to the lever 44; The bar 42 has in it at intervals pins 45 that extend through slots 46 in the upper ends of. the bars 47 that at thelr lower ends are pivoted by the pins 48 tothe side wall 18 of the frame of the apparatus. In this manner the connecting bar 42 is guided during its reciprocations.

The lever 44 at the rear end of the apparatus is secured at its lower end to shaft 49 and at its upper end is pivoted to the rod 50 that extends transversely of the apparatus as appears in Fig. 5. Said rod 50 at its other end is pivoted in the upper end of an arm 51, forming asupport similar to the lever 44, and is actuated by the shaft 49. The rod 50i's secured to the rear end of the resetting frame which is formed of'the longitudinalboards or plates 52 and the transverse plate 53 secured together, said plates 52 being spaced apart and arranged'to slide in the guide-waysformedby the bars 34 so as to en age sliding blocks 32 that may have been rel eased by the action of a swinging member or pin 11 as heretofore explained. This position of the parts 52 and32 is shown in Fig. 6 where one sliding block 32 has been released. Whenever the lever 40 is actuated the resetting frame, formed of the plates 52 and 53, is movedforward from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in'Fig. 7 and in that way all operated slidingblocks 32 will be moved to-the position'shown in Fig.

S where they lock, the hook 31 catching over the forward end of'the' plate 33, and that permits the swinging members or pins 1.1 to return by gravity to their normal position asshown in Fig. 2, ready for another player. hen the resetting lever 40 is released. the spring 55 returnsthe resetting frame to its normal rearward position, said spring 55 connecting the lever 43 to the rear wall 56 of the apparatus. 7

\Vhile I have shown one form of my invention for the-purpose of illustrating its nature, I do not wish my invention to be limited to the details thereof.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. In a game apparatus of the kind described, swinging members adapted to be struck by balls, means for holding said members in an elevated positionafter they have been struck, a catch for normally maintaining said holding means in a relaxed inoperative position-before the swinging members have been struck, and means on said members for engaging and releasing said catch as a swinging member moves to an elevated position after it has been struck.

2. In a game apparatusof'the kind de scribed, swinging members adapted to be struck by balls, spring drawn means for elevating and holding said members elevated. after they have been struck, a catch for maintaining said holding means in a relaxed inoperative position before said swinging members have been struck, and means on said swinging members that engages and releases said catch as a swinging member moves to an elevated position.

3. In a game apparatus of the kind described, a swinging member adapted to be struck by balls on its lower end, a block sliding behind said swinging member and provided with a catch, a plate on which said block slides and catches on the forward end thereof, a spring for withdrawing said block, a connection between said block and the lower part of said swinging member, and means on said swinging member for elevating and disengaging said sliding block when said swinging member is struck by a ball whereby the swinging memberwill be elevated and held in its elevated position.

i. In a game apparatus of the kind described, a plurality of swinging members mounted side by side and adapted to be struck by balls, a block slidably mounted behind each swinging member and provided with a catch, a spring for withdrawing each sliding block, a connection between each sliding block and its corresponding swinging member, means for engaging the catches on said blocks when in a forward position, and means on each swinging member for engaging its corresponding sliding block and releasing the same when the swinging member is struck by a ball.

5. In a game apparatus of the kind described, an alley, swinging members mounted thereover in position to be struck by balls rolling along the alley, holding means connected with the lower portion of said swinging members that are spring drawn for holding the swinging members in an elevated position after they have been struck, and means for relaxing said holding means to enable the swinging members to return to and remain in their normal position by gravity.

6. In a game apparatus of the kind described, an alley, a plurality of swinging members mounted thereover side by side in position to be struck by balls rolling over said alley, holding means connected with the lower portion of each swinging member that is spring drawn for holding said swing ing member in an elevated position after it has been struck, and a single means for relaxing all of said holding means simultaneously whereby they are permitted to return to and remain in their normal position by gravity.

7 In a game apparatus of the kind described, a swinging member adapted to be struck by a ball, spring drawn means for holding said swinging member after it has been struck, a catch for maintaining said holding means in a position to permit the swinging member to return to its normal position, and means operable from the forward end of the apparatus for moving said catch into an engaging position.

8. In a game apparatus of the kind described, a plurality of swinging members mounted side by side and adapted to be struck by balls, spring drawn means for holding each member in an elevated position after it has been struck, a catch in connection with each of said holding means adapted to maintain the same in a position to permit its corresponding swinging member to return to its normal position, and a single means for moving all of said catches simultaneously into engaging positions.

9. In a game apparatus of the kind desc 'ibed, a plurality of swinging members mounted side by side and adapted to be struck by balls, a block slidably mounted behind each swinging member and provided with a catch, a spring for withdrawing each block, a connection between each block and its corresponding swinging member, means in position to be engaged by the catches on said sliding blocks when they are moved forward, whereby the holding means will permit the swinging members to be returned to their normal position, means on each swinging member when said member is struck by a ball for disengaging its corresponding sliding block whereby said member will be held in an elevated position, and a resetting frame for moving all of said sliding blocks to the catching position and resetting the swinging members.

10. In a game apparatus of the'kind described, a plurality of swinging members mounted side by side and adapted to be struck by balls, a block slidably mounted behind each swinging member and provided with a catch a spring for withdrawing each block, a connection between each block and its corresponding swinging member, means in position to be engaged by the catches on said sliding blocks when they are moved forward whereby the holding means will permit the swinging members to return to their normal posit-ion, means on each swinging member when said member is struck by a ball for disengaging its corresponding sliding block whereby said member will be held in an elevated position, a resetting frame for moving all of said sliding blocks to the catching position and resetting the swinging members, a vertically disposed arm at each side of the apparatus to which said frame is pivoted, and means extending from one of said arms to the forward part of the apparatus for actuating said resetting mechanism.

11. In a game apparatus of the kind described, an alley over which the balls are adapted to roll, a return trough for the balls, swinging members adapted to be struck by the balls, means for holding said swinging members when so struck in an elevated position, a resetting mechanism, a hand lever, a

connecting bar extending from said lever to my signatnre in the presence of the witthe resetting mechanism, rocking bars pivnesses herein named. oted at intervalseto the apparatus and provided with slots, and means operable in said DANIEL TALBERT' slots for uniting said rocking bars and the Witnesses: connecting bar or guiding the latter. V. H. Looxwoon,

In witness Whereof,I have hereunto aflixed OLIVE BREEDEN. 

